How to Tell If a Man Bun Is Right for Your Face Shape

Can You Rock a Man Bun? Here’s How to Figure It Out

Most red carpets feature ornate updos on women, and more and more often, impressive mounds of hair on men. These man buns, as they’re called, have been around for a very long time, and in recent years, been favored by male celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jake Gyllenhaal, David Beckham, and other iconic entertainers spanning across all of pop culture. Even though the style may date back to the 6th century and have been worn by the most A-list in Hollywood, there is really only one question we address here today: “Is the man bun right for me?”

“[It’s] a nod to the 1970s with a millennial twist,” according to celebrity hairstylist Daniel Koye, who gives dudes who prefer their hair long an option to maintain their wild strands, usually wrapped up neatly — or with a few strategic flyaways — at the crown of their head. “Man buns are very popular because they let the men grow their hair longer and give them a stylish look to give them a more rugged and sexy look.”

While having a mane reminiscent of a Harlequin romance novel might sound sexy in theory, putting together this look isn’t always straightforward. And depending on your face shape, the style itself may or may not suit you. Before you decide to grow out your strands and watch YouTube tutorials on pulling off an Instagram-worthy style, you should take a page from a hairstylist’s rule book.

Here, we show you how to know if a man bun is the right speed for your face shape.

Heart-Shaped Face

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Effect: Offers a more masculine look

You know you have a heart-shaped face if your chin is the smallest point of your face, and your jawline is pronounced. Another way to think of this face type is an upside down triangle, with wider cheekbones and thinner mouth area. If you fall into this category, a man bun can be a win for you. Koye explains that men with heart-shaped faces can sometimes appear more feminine, and a man bun swept tightly to the back of your head can actually harden your look.

“The heart-shaped face will give the man bun a very strong sense of presence since you will see it from both sides,” he says. “It’s going to be bringing all the attention up to the face, which is also a very stunning look for a guy.”

Oval-Shaped Face

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Effect: Adds definition

Those with an oval face tend to be more photogenic, according to Koye, since they feature more symmetry than other face shapes. How do you know if you’re pulling off an egg-shaped look? Your cheekbones are the widest part of your face, but both your forehead and jaw are rounded. This leaves you with few sharp angles, which means you’re a fit for a man bun, says Koye.

For this face shape, he recommends placing your man bun at the very top of your head (as opposed to the crown) and creating a more prominent bun over a muted one. Notes Koye, “It exposes the whole face and brings attention to your jawline, which is an attractive, appealing feature for an oval face.”

Square Face

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Effect: It flatters

“You have the perfect face shape to wear a man bun,” Koye tells us.

Square faces, like those of the quintessential Hollywood leading men, are blessed when it comes to pulling off most hairstyles. “You can wear the bun higher on your head as well as wear it lower. You can have a messy bun … You have so much versatility to create that sexy man bun.”

Small or Long Faces

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Effect: Draws attention to the wrong laces Though it’s all relative, Koye notes those who skew either supersmall or longer with their face compositions may want to shy away from man buns. Since your features are already minimal or pronounced, this look isn’t going to do any favors for you since it doesn’t bring out your best qualities, per Koye.

For those with a short face, a man bun will bring attention to your forehead, not to your hair. And for a longer face, you add more volume to your look when you don’t need it. This is especially true if you have thin hair that doesn’t make much of a mound up there. “You will look a little bit off proportion since you’ll have a small man bun and then a large face. You will almost look like a sumo wrestler, which is not the most flattering,” he points out.

Take Into Account Hair Type

On the note of thin hair, it isn’t just face shape that plays a factor, but also the density and texture of your stands. As Koye notes, those with very fine hair won’t be able to create the volume required to pull off a man bun. He says those who have pint-sized knobs tend to look as if they aren’t pulling off the style, but rather, the trendy look is wearing them instead.

If you want to try it, Koye suggests moving the bun higher to the top of your head instead of the back of your head, which could throw people off when they see you face-to-face, since the little mound wouldn’t be visible. “The placement of the bun is critical,” he insists.

To best figure out placement, Koye suggests taking a ruler from the tip of your chin and measure from your ear and then keep going to the top of your head. By using this trick, it places the bun at the most flattering angle.

If you have a receding hairline and are thinking about rocking a man bun, you are going to need to put a little more effort into the style — it’s not as easy as just pulling it back, according to Koye.

“You’re not going to want to slick down your bun,” he says. “You’re going to want to give some volume and separation to your hair at the root. Before putting it in the bun, dampen your hair and scrunch at the root to give some texture.” For added texture and volume, once dry use a dry shampoo or hair powder at the roots. These added steps will ensure you don’t draw more attention to that recession.

Whether your hair is man-bun ready or you’re just starting down that path to hair growth, we hope this gives you a better idea if it’s the right decision for you.